Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has alleged that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has not received a single phone call from President Bola Tinubu more than 50 days after the abduction of schoolchildren in the state, describing the situation as evidence of a deepening leadership crisis in Nigeria.

Obi made the claim in a statement posted on his X account on Monday titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident,” where he sharply criticised the Federal Government’s response to insecurity and accused the administration of lacking both empathy and effective leadership.

The former Anambra State governor said the prolonged captivity of the schoolchildren had left the people of Oyo State feeling abandoned, stressing that the incident should be viewed as a national tragedy rather than a problem confined to one state.

According to Obi, he had publicly intervened twice since the abduction, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the children. He added that he also contacted Governor Makinde on two occasions to express solidarity and support.

“The government and people of Oyo State, more than 50 days after the abduction of the schoolchildren without any tangible effort toward their rescue, should rightly feel bitter and abandoned,” Obi stated.

“Since this unfortunate incident, I have spoken publicly about it twice, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the children. I also called the governor twice to assure him of my solidarity, understanding that this issue is not just an Oyo problem but a Nigerian tragedy.”

Obi disclosed that he visited Ibadan on July 3 alongside economist Prof. Pat Utomi, where they met with Governor Makinde to discuss the security situation and possible solutions.

During the meeting, Obi said he reflected on his experience as governor of Anambra State and recalled how former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan routinely communicated with governors whenever major security crises occurred in their states.

He said he was shocked when Makinde informed him that President Tinubu had not contacted him since the schoolchildren were abducted.

“To my utmost shock, I discovered that, contrary to my assumption that they had been in regular communication over the matter, Governor Seyi Makinde had not received a single call from President Bola Tinubu,” Obi said.

Drawing parallels with the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, Obi recalled that Tinubu was among opposition figures who criticised then-President Goodluck Jonathan for what they described as a delayed response to the tragedy.

“I vividly recall that the current president, Bola Tinubu, led a team of vocal critics who called for President Jonathan’s immediate resignation over the incident, citing his delay in calling the state governor. That call for immediate resignation should actually be the case in this matter,” he said.

Obi further argued that despite more than a dozen school kidnapping incidents under the current administration, the President had failed to demonstrate sufficient urgency and engagement.

“Today, under President Tinubu, there have been more than 13 school kidnappings, yet the President has found it difficult to call the affected state’s chief executive after more than 50 days. This is outrageous. I suspect the same may also have been the case in other school kidnapping incidents,” he added.

The former governor lamented the continued insecurity across the country, saying the safety of kidnapped children, teachers and other citizens should remain the government’s highest priority.

“I cannot imagine any issue more important than the lives of our kidnapped children, their teachers, and the many other Nigerians being held captive across the country. It is now an indisputable fact that governance has completely collapsed under this administration,” Obi stated.

He concluded by urging President Tinubu to either resign or forgo any plans to seek a second term, insisting that his position was motivated by patriotism rather than politics.

“Amid such an apparent display of incompetence, the president should either resign or, at the very least, abstain from seeking re-election for the sake of our dear country. This call is patriotic, not political,” Obi said.